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Of Glendale…Or what not to wear at a job interview…
Supposedly for a creative,self-standing entrepreneurial kind of job…
Which required a no jeans,smart attire…
And apparently reading from a script…
So there for the creative spirit and input…
Needless to say, I didn’t get the job and felt as useless as an ashtray on a motorbike,just standing there, being me…
Being you is not so highly rated at a certain circles…
Then again,I was born this way!
Meanwhile the other candidates showed up in jeans!!Even though the instructions were not to.
So they got the job.
And I got a nice day,horsing pinking around in the city.
Ce la vie, as they say…

Horsing around in pink

Bow your face in shame,you naughty boy…Showing off in the middle of a serious business district…Anatomically correct too.In the middle of the day!!!

The spirit of pink

Pink above the highway

They say, if you stand long enough on the bridge,the body of your enemy will float drive past…Eventually…Still waiting…

Yes,you can have it all.For dinner.
High protein,low-carb,delicious,nutritious chicken amaze-burger with cauliflower ”rice”.Paleo too.For a dollar!!!

Chicken amaze-burgers with cauliflower rice

My biggest challenge lately is keep my level of fitness and killer nutrition on a shoe string budget.You don’t have to resort to eating junk, just because is cheaper and more convenient in a times.Rough financial times call for even better eating habits,since you need all the vital energy for overcoming the temporary curve balls life trows every now and then.So I quickly became somewhat of a whiz-cuisine-whip-it-for a dollar chef-cook.All you need is research and maths.And imagination.As you can see, fitness meal doesn’t have to mean expensive protein bars,shakes,man made in a lab concoctions with sky high prices.
I like to keep it simple.Primal.Essential.
No bull.For a dollar.

It came out as total of 7 patties 6 perfect (amazeburgers) and 1 odd shaped,shown here:

After

On the right is my cauliflower rice with turmeric.
Easy breazy to make,low carb,low calorie and tasty,even for anti-cauliflower-er like me.I never liked the stuff.Till this concoction came out.
In a powerful blender toss the roughly chopped cauliflower and pulse till grain consistence.
Heat some coconut oil and fry some spring onions with salt,pepper,turmeric,cayenne.
Add the cauliflower rice, and stir fry for 10 min or so.At the end add more chopped cilantro for taste.

Still loyal to the Chrysler Sebring family…We also had it in Holland,so once a fan,always a fan…

Which is not to say that this baby is flawless…As seen here, it needed some needed TLC from a pro.And up lifting and support from me-Ha!

Support the US car industry

Lately I’ve been ob.se.ssed. with power lifting,so it was only natural to take it to a higher-literally level.
Damn I am strong!
Take that cross-fitters with your tyres flipping-schmipping!!
I got the tires and the car-HA!
Just love them Mustang-wheels….
Gah!

Decadent and bliss are not normally associated with mondays,but that’s why I am bringing you this raw creation.
Beat the monday blues and that afternoon slump with this Oh-so-sweet chocolate mousse/icecream/froyo concoction.
With all natural,guilt free ingredients…And the ONLY time you will catch me eating bananas!

Raw vegan chocolate dessert

Rich, and gooey and chocolately…Just the right afternoon snack.

Raw vegan chocolate bliss

Very simple.Time saving.Easy.Breazy to do.

Bananas and perssimons

Main ingredients-well ripe(with brown spots)frozen or normal bananas and big juicy perssimon(mine was frozen too.).Side note-Bananas for bananas I am not and can’t be caught dead eating them yellow suckers,so that’s the only time I declare peace with the enemy bananas.And that’s saying something about that(recipe).

Raw chocolate bliss recipe

In a high powered(3HP) blender,put a bit of water (half cup)and add unsweetened shredded coconut with a big heap of unsweetened cocoa(mine is from Trader Joe).Then just add the bananas and the perssimon and blend your way to a chocolate heaven…If you are a cinnamon addict like me, you can drown sprinkle that in too…Pop in freezer so it sets and becomes more gooey and froyoey…

Like this:

The aftermath or
What a year it has been!!!
Turbulent doesn’t even begin to describe it!
As stated in my previous entry,we moved house across the ocean(make that oceans) and starting a new life in California.
With no rich uncle to fall on,or any friends.
Then again,this is how we do it.
No fear.Head on.
Since july 2013 it has been go,go,go.
Do.Do.Do.
Hurry,hurry,hurry.
Paperwork.Legwork.
Cleaning all junk from our home.
Giving staff away to charities,to neighbours,to Johan the fruit guy…

Out with the old…

It’s amazing how much useful staff junk was lurking around the house…

Shoes-goodbye old friends

It pained me to part with my shoes,but I had to make a wise choice what to take and what to leave…Aaahh..

Wires,wires,wires

My husbands old friends also had to go…

In six short months,we put our Dutch house for sale,quit a cushy job and easy life and moved to USA.
Goodbuy Amsterdam…Hello, Uncle Sam…

Goodbye Amsterdam

Goodbuy Rijksmuseum

Amsterdam

Amsterdam,Museumplein and me

Sunflowers and Amsterdam

Just the 2 of us,followed by a 7 cubic meter container with all our (O.K.mostly mine 98 %) crap possessions.

Living in a box

Our life in boxes…

Best way to pack for transatlantic journey

69 of them, to be precise…

Best way to pack for transatlantic journey

We try to use some highly scientific method with paper tape on the floor to figure out the cubic meter size of the container needed,which of course didn’t quite pan out, so we ended up miscalculating.So 5 cubic meter turned out to be 7, and big pain in the …wallet.

Best way to pack for transatlantic journey

Note to all would be movers in another continent-when shipping stuff across continents,use plastic storage boxes and drawers,instead of paper.It’s more sturdy and rain-proof-as tested by us during our container loading day.It was freezing cold and rained cats and dogs. And boy, were we happy that we used plastic…

And here is my favorite moment of our journey to America.Trying so see the unknown.So full of hope.So full of promise.So full of the excitement.

Though the looking glass or the future is 15 hours away….in L.A.

Would it be turbulent.Or rough.Or smooth?!…As the saying goes:”One day can make your life.One day can break your life. All life is, is four or five days that change everything” (Drew Barrymore,from Riding in cars with boys)
And that was THAT day.

On a wing and a prayer…

Giddy with excitement…
Future,here we come…
And that was the 2013 most defining moment…

“Close some doors.
Not because of pride, incapacity or arrogance, but simply because they no longer lead somewhere.” – Paulo Coelho

And that’s exactly what we did few weeks ago.Goodbuy rain,snow,wind,cold,gloom and doom!
We recently flew the Dutch nest and relocated for good in California!

Aaand just like that, your Dutch Girl is now a Valley Girl.(We live now in the valley)
Hello, good weather year round!
Hello,fresh papaya and mangoes.And kale.And coconuts.
So happy to be in California!!!!

I had a dream!And I dreamed it long enough till it came true!
This year, I didn’t wish for anything from Santa, since I got my biggest wish come true-to be able to live and work in
THE ONE.
AND ONLY.
USA!!!
America, we love you!!
And we are so honored to be here!
God bless America!And marry Christmas!!
From California with love.And Orange christmas tree…